January 21, 2009

AH… La Florida–but not the Florida where I am now for for the Space Coast Birding Festival. But a flashback to Tamaulipas, Mexico last november near the El Cielo biosphere reserve where we headed down a dusty road. We were in the dark driving past houses where the locals were selling tacos and school children where dressed in their uniforms headed for school. Back to a magical spot called La Florida. Where for three dollars a person you can hop aboard a boat and take a ride and see not only sun grebes but if you are lucky and alert a boat-billed heron hiding in the trees. Scanning the tangled vines we spotted this bird. He was facing away when we first spotted him. That posture made it easy to see that his bill was whitish below and just how much that bill looked like the bottom of a boat. Amazing. A well named bird. He turned his head and looked at us, striking the classic heron pose.